US President
Barack Obama
has made it clear the United States will be relying more on Australia to help maintain regional law and order, saying it is one of the few nations with the capacity to be counted upon.

Under the agreement, up to 2500 US Marines will be based near Darwin and there will be more US planes flying in and out of the top end. The final phase, will involve US warships using the Western Australian port of HMAS Stirling.

“There are a handful of countries in the world that we always know that we can count on. Not just because they share our values but we know we can count on them because they’ve got real capacity,” US President Barack Obama says.
Photo: Andrew Meares

“In addition to the Marines that we have now in Darwin, through a rotation that has been established, we have arrived at additional agreements around force posture that will enhance the bilateral co-operation between our militaries and give us additional reach in this very important part of the world,’’ Mr Obama said.

The extension allows for more troop-training exercises – some involving third countries – and the arrival of US warships.

Following a decade of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US is keen to have others share the burden in maintaining world order.

‘Real capacity’

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Mr Obama has plans to train and equip countries, especially in the Middle-East and Africa to better look after themselves, but in the short term, he said, Australia is vital.

“We are going to be more effective if we can work with other nations,’’ he said.

“That’s part of where Australia is so important to us. There are a handful of countries in the world that we always know that we can count on. Not just because they share our values but we know we can count on them because they’ve got real capacity.

“Aussies know how to fight. I like to have them in the foxhole when we’re in trouble. I can’t think of a better partner.’’

The meeting was also attended by US Secretary of State John Kerrry, US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and Vice-President Joe Biden.

Mr Abbott told Mr Obama that Australia would be an utterly dependable ally of the United States.

“The US has to bear many burdens, the US has paid a very high price to secure freedom and prosperity for many countries," the Australian Prime Minister said.

The meeting discussed the regional issues centred around the rise of China. Both agreed China’s rise should be embraced so long as it abides by international law.

Climate change was also raised and Mr Obama accepted that Mr Abbott had a mandate to scrap the carbon tax and pursue his own direct action policy.

Iraq overshadows meeting

President Obama told a war-weary America that he has not ruled out anything by way of response, saying there will have to be a short-term military reaction, as well as a diplomatic push.

“I don’t rule out anything because we do have a stake in making sure that these jihadists are not getting a permanent foothold in either Iraq or Syria, for that matter,’’ he said.

“There will be some short-term, immediate things that will need to be done militarily and our national security team is looking at all the options, but this should be also a wake-up call for the Iraqi government that there has to be a political component to this,’’ he said.

Mr Obama said over the long term, America needs partners in the Middle-East and Africa who can do some of the heavy lifting in the region, rather than rely on the US all the time.

“We are not going to be able to be everywhere all the time. But what we can do is to ensure that we are consistently helping to finance, train [a] military force with a partner country, including Iraq,’’ he said.

“That is a long and laborious process but we need to get started,’’ he said. “In the short term, we have to deal with what is clearly an emergency situation in Iraq.’’